Gate for irrigating-dams.



B. E. GILBERT.

GATE FOR IRRIGATING DAMS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY H. 1914.

Patented Apr.6,1915.

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F5 E G LBERT BOND EARL GILBERT, OF MORRILL, NEBRASKA.

GATE FOR IRRIGATING-DAMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

Application filed July 11, 1914. Serial No. 850,475.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BOND EARL Gunner, a citizen of the United States, residlng at Morrill, in the county of Scotts Bluff and State of Nebraska, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gates for I rr1- gating-Dams, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to irrigating dams, and has for its primary object to provide an automatic check gate having certain 1mproved structural features, whereby the irrlgating canal may be supplied at a predetermined time.

Considered in its more specific aspect, the invention includes as its essential characteristics a fixed gate frame and a movable gate frame connected together by a series of links and a sheet of canvas or other flexible material adapted to be held at its edges between said frames, a lever connected to one of the links, an alarm mechanism having a winding key, and a spring held latch element adapted to rest at one of its ends upon said key and having its other end disposed in the path of movement of said lever whereby the movable gate frame is held against movement with respect to the stationary frame, the operation of the alarm releasing said latch element so that the movable frame will move by gravity away from the stationary frame and release said canvas.

My invention has for a further general object to improve and simplify the construction of irrigating dams or gates of the above character so as to render the same highly reliable and efficient in practical operation and reduce their initial cost, as well as subsequent expense incident to repairs, to a minimum.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter referred to and more particularly pointed out in the specification and claims.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which- 7 Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved irrigating dam; Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the dam or gate open; and Fig. 4

is a detail section taken on the line H of Fig. 1.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 5 designates the stationary rectangular frame of the irrigating dam or gate which may be mounted and held in position in the irrigating canal in any approved manner. 6 designates the movable gate frame which is identical in construction with the frame 5. These frames are preferably formed of beams of square or rectangular form in cross section and the inner opposed faces of the top beams of said frames are longitudinally grooved as indicated at 7 for the purpose to be later referred to. The vertical side bars of the frames 5 and 6 are connected by a series of links 8. These links, when the gate is closed, extend obliquely and upwardly from the frame 5 to the frame 6. At one side of the gate, the central link 8 has a lever 9 integrally formed with the end thereof which is pivoted to the frame 5. WVhen the movable frame 6 is in its closed position, this lever 9 extends longitudinally and downwardly in parallel relation to the side of the stationary frame 5.

A sheet of canvas or other suitable flexible material indicated at 10 constitutes the gate proper. The lower edge of this sheet is secured to the lower bar of the stationary gate frame 5, while to the opposite edge thereof a rod 11 is attached. This rod is adapted to be received in the grooves 7 of the top bars of the frames 5 and 6.v The side edges of the canvas sheet 10 are adapted to be tightly clamped between the opposed faces of the stationary and movable frames.

A11 alarm mechanism 12 is suitably mounted upon one of the vertical side bars of the stationary frame 5 and is provided with the usual winding key 13. Upon one side of the gate frame a vertically movable latch bar 1% is slidably mounted in a suitable guide 15. The upper end of this bar is formed with an extension 16 which projects beyond the side edge of the frame and is disposed in the path of movement of the lever 9 when said bar is in its effective position. One end of a coil spring 17 is connected to thelatch bar 141 and the other end thereof secured to the gate frame.

As shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, the edges of the canvas sheet 10 are tightly held between the stationary and movable gate frames, and the latch bar 14: has been lifted against the action of the spring 17 and its lower end engaged upon the alarm key 13,

to permit the movable gate frame 6 to swing outwardly from the stationary frame 5. The direction of flow of the water in the irrigating canal is indicated by the arrow,

and the pressure of this water against the canvas sheet can only serve to force the movable gate frame into close contact with the stationary frame, in view of the fact that the lever 9 can move in only one direction. Assuming that the alarm clock mechanism has been set so'as to sound the alarm at a predetermined time, upon the operation of said mechanism, the alarm key will turn and the head thereof with which the latch bar 14 is engaged, will move to a vertical position in parallelrelation to the latch bar.- The contraction of the spring 17 will thus draw the latch bar downwardly and disengage the extension 16 thereof from the end of the lever 9. The movable gate frame 6 will thus immediately drop downwardly by gravity and also move outwardly away from the stationary frame 5 to the position shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, so that the canvas sheet 10 is released. This sheet drops to the bottom of the canal and the water is permitted free passage through the gate.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the construction, manner of operation, and several advantages of my invention will be clearly and fully understood. It will be seenthat by means of my invention, an automatic dam or gate forirrigating canals is produced which requires comparatively lit tle attention on the part of the operator. After the canvas has been arranged in a vertical position between the gate frames and the movable frame held against movement by the latch lever, as above explained, the operator has only to properly set the alarm mechanism at the time when he wishes the gate to open and release the water. After the gate has opened and the flow ofvwater has decreased or ceased, the canvassheet 10 may be very easily replaced in its vertical position between the gate frames to again check the flow of water through the canal. The device is moreover very simple in its construction and it will therefore be appreciated that the same can be produced at small manufacturing cost. My improved irrigating dam is also highly eflicient and reliable as well as of great durability in practical use.

1 While I have above described the pre- 7 Copies of this patent may be obtained forfive cents each by addressing T I Washington, D. C J

the spirit and so ferred form, construction, and arrangement of the several elements empl0yed,it will be understood that the device is, nevertheless, susceptible .of considerable modification therein, and I therefore reserve the privilege of resorting to all such legitimate changes as may be fairly embodied within ope of the invention as claimed.

l/Vhat is claimed is: I 1. Inan irrigating dam, a stationary gate frame, a movable gate frame, a seriesof links pivotally connected at their ends to said frames,a lever connected to one of said links, a -spring held latch bar slidably mounted upon the stationary frame, "an alarm mechanism havinga key, and a canvas sheetadapted to be clamped ina vertical position between said frames, one end of said latch bar being adapted for engage' ment upon the alarm key and the other end thereof disposed in thepath of movement of said lever to prevent the 'opening movement of the movable gate frame, the contraction of said spring upon the rotation of the alarm key moving said latch bar to per mit the movable gate frame to move downwardly and outwardly away from the stationary frame and release the canvas sheet.

2. In an irrigating dam, a stationary gate frame, a movable gate frame, a series of links connecting said gate frames upon their opposite sides, a lever connected to one of the links at one side of the gate, a canvas sheet attached at itslower edge to the stationary "gate'frame, rod secured to the opposite "edgeof said sheet, the upper bars of said gate frames being provided with grooves in their opposed faces to receive said rod, a spring held latch bar, and an alarm mechanism having a key, said bar bei'ng-slidably mounted upon the stationary frame and adapted for engagement at one of its ends-with said key whereby the bar is held in the path of movementof said lever and the movable gate frame retained in its closed position against the stationary frame, the sounding of the alarm releasing said latch lever whereby it ismoved under the action of its spring to permit of the movement of saidlever and the outward and downward movement of the movable gate frame with respect to the stationary gate frame whereby saidcanvas sheetis released. 1 In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses. r BOND EARL GILBERT. Witnesses: a

S. A.=BnNso1 I-, CHAS. W. BENSON.

the Commissioner of Tatentn. 

